David M. Witelson – The Conversation

Images of one-horned rain-animals have been found in the northern parts of the Eastern Cape province. Courtesy David M. Witelson

June 21, 2023

Unicorns in southern Africa: the fascinating story behind one‑horned creatures in rock art

David M. Witelson, University of the Witwatersrand

Some explorers believed they had found unicorns depicted on rocks. The truth behind the paintings is far more interesting.

Detail of the ceiling paintings of the San people in the Drakensberg, South Africa. Courtesy © Stephen Townley Bassett

March 31, 2021

An ancient San rock art mural in South Africa reveals new meaning

David M. Witelson, University of the Witwatersrand; David Lewis-Williams, University of the Witwatersrand; David Pearce, University of the Witwatersrand, and Sam Challis, University of the Witwatersrand

The team from Wits University returned to a well-known ceiling panel in the Maloti-Drakensberg mountains, armed with new knowledge about the beliefs of the San people who made the paintings.

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